Think Tanks et al

Think Tanks et alCSIShttps://www.csis.org/Accessed 17 March 2018ReportA Ripe Moment for Reducing Vaccine-Preventable Disease
March 13, 2018 | By Nellie Bristol
…Over the next several years, three global health activities growing out of programs championed by the U.S. government will come together in a way that could catalyze immunization system improvements in the most disease-prone countries. These include immunization and disease surveillance goals outlined in the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) and two activities related to global polio eradication: the need for worldwide delivery of the inactivated polio vaccine; and the repurposing of the polio infrastructure for immunization and other health activities, a process known as polio transition. All three activities create concerted attention to immunization systems that could result in sustained increases in global vaccination rates and amplify U.S. investments in vaccine promotion mechanisms, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Yet an uncertain budget future for each of the activities threatens not only the potential expansion of this global public good but could cause regression in successful vaccine delivery and related coverage rates. Although both polio eradication and the GHSA enjoy strong bipartisan support, including under the current administration, the potential for decreases in U.S. foreign assistance endangers the future of these activities. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is already developing staff reduction plans for the GHSA in the face of possible budget cuts…